An academic who was beaten beyond recognition by a gang of men after answering his front door has told how he feared he had lost an eye during the eight-minute attack in south-west London.

Paul Kohler, 55, the head of law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, underwent two days of surgery after the attack in Wimbledon at 10pm on Monday.

As police released new CCTV footage of a suspect, Kohler said: "The first punch in the hall took my eye out, I thought I had lost the eye at that stage because it stopped functioning. But I just kept thinking of my wife and daughter and her boyfriend upstairs.

Police are investigating whether the attack is linked to Kohler's ownership of the Cellar Door, a Covent Garden cabaret bar, and if the four masked men were looking for takings.

Kohler said he thought the attack may have been a case of mistaken identity. "I was thinking that they had the wrong house. English was not their first language, but they were using the definite article talking about 'the money', like there was a particular stash, but there was no money to give them.

"I've got a pretty graphic memory of it all. I never lost consciousness and eight minutes can last a long time."

He, his wife, Samantha MacArthur, 50, eldest daughter, Eloise, and her boyfriend were playing a board game when the men arrived.

They demanded money and ransacked the house. While his wife was pinned down on the landing, his daughter and her boyfriend locked themselves in a bedroom and rang the police.

CCTV footage shows a suspect removing surgical gloves in the New Wimbledon Theatre car park about a minute after the incident. Two men arrested at the scene, aged 32 and 23, have appeared in court charged with aggravated burglary and grievous bodily harm, and have been remanded in custody.

Police are seeking two others in connection with the attack. They are thought to be between 20 and 30 years old and of eastern European origin. Officers are also asking for information from anyone who saw a two-door cabriolet-style silver Volkswagen car.

Kohler said: "Yesterday I felt quite traumatised by it, but I feel a lot stronger today.

"My sight straight ahead is now OK, but the problem is turning the eye because there's damage to the socket. They are doing an operation once the swelling has gone down," he told the Evening Standard.

Anyone with information should contact police on 0208 649 3159 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.